


Souls Don't Lie

by Jjosiah98



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Courting Rituals, Declarations Of Love, Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon), French Kissing, Good Parent Stoick the Vast, Hiccup and Toothless are Soulmates, I refuse to believe otherwise, M/M, Soul Binding, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28769964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jjosiah98/pseuds/Jjosiah98
Summary: Having turned sixteen, Hiccup is forced to participate in a ritual that all Heirs in the history of Berk have before him to find the best person to marry for the tribe to prosper. As expected, it doesn't turn out the way everyone thinks.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Stoick the Vast, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson (One Sided), Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Toothless
Comments: 5
Kudos: 141





	Souls Don't Lie

To say Hiccup was nervous was an understatement.

Today, just a few weeks after his 16th birthday, everyone, human and dragon alike, were crowded around the Dragon Academy to witness his 'Soul Searching' ceremony. It was something all Heirs of Berk had to do in their life, and like his father and grandfather and all his ancestors before them, he had to do it.

It had one sole purpose. To help the Heir find the perfect person to be their husband or wife that would be able to give a strong child to continue the bloodline and help the tribe prosper. It was a simple process, which Hiccup was grateful for. The elder of the village, who was once more Gothi who had the longest running streak of three ceremonies she got to conduct, would set up a simple rune on a platform for the Heir to stand in. One simple chant later and the person's soul would appear and be drawn to the person that they would marry. If they had not yet met this person, the name would be forced from their lips for everyone to know and look out for.

If the person had been met and that person was present, the Heir and selected mate would be compelled to have a make-out session with each other in front of everyone. At least, that's what Gobber told him. Probably did just to make his nerves go haywire. His mentor has a terrible sense of humor.

Hiccup shook his head. He just needed to relax. It would take all of two minutes and it would be done. Toothless crooned and gently butted his shoulder. He felt himself instantly relax. So long as his best friend was with him, he could handle anything.

"Hey Hiccup, ready for our make-out session?"

And there goes his nerves again.

He turned to look at Astrid, who was grinning like mad. It was no secret that everyone though she would be the one he was going to be fated with, and Astrid herself was probably the most excited person besides his father about it. Hiccup was less than thrilled with that possibility.

While yes, his relationship with her and the other teens improved after the war ended and he did do some basic dating with Astrid, he had come to realize he didn't like her more than as a friend or maybe older sister on some days. He did have a crush on her before, but that was infatuation instead of actual love. Of course, she wouldn't have any of that, saying he was just confused. It really bothered him that she so easily brushed off his concerns.

It was also part of the reason he was so nervous. If they did wind up paired, he would be stuck with someone he didn't actually love which would just be miserable for both parties. If they didn't, he really wasn't keen on finding out what she might do to him. At least he had Toothless to help him if things went wrong. It didn't matter who he got stuck with, he and Toothless were a package deal, end of discussion. Nothing would take his dragon away if he had anything to say about it, and he knew Toothless felt the same.

"Not really. I'd rather not do this if I'm honest."

"Oh come on, lighten up! It's not like we'll have to rush things."

"If I get paired with you, which I might not."

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you will!"

"Astrid-"

"You. Will."

See? Doesn't want to accept it might not be her for whatever reason. Toothless growled at her as she walked off, not happy about her attitude either. After she walked out of sight, probably headed to stand with his father, Toothless crooned at him and gestured to his back.

"As much as I want to, you know I can't. As Heir, I have to go through this, even if I don't want to. But you'll stay by my side, won't you?"

Toothless sat and nodded firmly. Hiccup laughed and scratched his neck.

"Thanks, bud. Don't know what I'd do without you."

He got a snort in reply.

"I would not! ...Probably."

Roll of the eyes.

"Well, that's what I have you for! And besides, you like the stunts we pull."

Toothless groaned, but nuzzled his side anyways. They sat appreciating each other until Stoick started speaking.

"Alright everyone, quiet down. Today is the day of the traditional Soul Searching Ceremony. As we have for all our Heirs, including myself and my father and his father, we will be conducting a ritual to find out who Hiccup shall marry! Yes! And I think we all know who that might be..."

Hiccup peeked around the corner to see his father patting Astrid on the shoulder and inwardly groaned.

"But now is the time to make it official! Hiccup, come on out son!"

Reluctantly, Hiccup stepped out into the ring as cheers went up from the Vikings. The dragons watched mostly in silence, curious about this strange human gathering. Hiccup had explained the whole thing to Toothless, and he was pretty sure the dragon passed it on to the others so they knew what was going on.

He reached the center of the ring and climbed up the stairs to the raised platform that had been set up with the runes already etched into the wood. He stepped into the center of them, off to the side so Toothless could stand in the center with him.

"Toothless, get down from there. This is for Hiccup, not you."

Toothless, of course, growled and sat down on his haunches in defiance. Stoick sighed.

"Gobber, go get the dragon down."

"Oh come on dad, why can't he be up here with me? It won't actually affect anything, will it?"

He directed the second question to Gothi, who shook her head, one of those smiles on her face that said she knew something you didn't. Hiccup didn't bother dwelling on it, since he knew it would give him nothing but a headache trying to figure out what it was.

"See? He's fine."

Stoick grumbled, but didn't try forcing the issue.

"Alright then, lets get started. Gothi, you may proceed."

Gothi, who was standing up next to his father's seat at the top of the ring, stepped up to the bars and quietly started chanting. This was one of the few times she would make an exception to her oath of silence, since no one else knew how to do it as she had yet to take an apprentice. She finished by tapping her staff on the ground, and instantly the runes around Hiccup and Toothless lit up.

The dragon eyed the marks warily, scooching closer to Hiccup in case something happened. The boy just lightly pat his side, giving silent reassurance things would be fine.

Then Hiccup felt an odd tingling in his chest, right above his heart. He looked down and rubbed the spot, and when he pulled his hand away a glowing ball came with it. It took Hiccup a moment to realize that this was his soul he was currently holding, or at least a manifestation of it. He held it up so Toothless and the surrounding audience could see it better.

It was a gentle shade of green, much like the color of the forest trees on Berk. It had many vine-like ropes swirling around it in such a complex way that it was impossible to follow, and through occasional gaps in the lines a brightly burning fire could be seen, hiding under the surface ready to flare out and strike with untapped potential. To say Hiccup was amazed and intrigued was an understatement. He would love to sketch this, to study it more, but it's sheer complexity would make it impossible.

Toothless, just as curious as him, leaned forwards to sniff at it. His wide eyes followed the many complex lines like he was trying to find it's source, and his eyes reflected the bright fire within. Then he tried to nudge it with his snout.

A violent, full body shiver went through him. He could not describe just how weird that felt. He also figured he should be upset that someone just touched his soul, his very being, but it was strangely fine that it was Toothless that did it. Still, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

His dragon quickly moved back, crooning in concern at his reaction to it.

"I-It's fine, bud. Just, uh, don't do that again, okay?"

The dragon quickly nodded before pausing. Slowly, he raised a paw to his own chest, rubbing over where his heart was before pulling it back. There, cradled by his claws, was Toothless' soul. He heard whispers from the crowd, but ignored them in favor of getting a better look at his friend's soul.

It was a vibrant shade of blue and purple, much like his plasma blasts. It looked foggy, like a cloud would at night with the stars shining behind it. Frequently, flashes would appear in the smoke like lightning flashing through the clouds that spoke of both great power and devastating fury, which Hiccup found very appropriate. It was almost like seeing a lightning storm caught inside of a glass ball.

As he leaned closer, he decided he wanted to see what it felt like to touch it. And also to get a bit of revenge on Toothless for touching his soul. He lightly tapped his finger against it, finding it felt much like dense fog would in the forest, and as expected Toothless shivered violently before glowering at him.

"Hey, it's only fair that I got to do that."

The dragon snorted before looking back at his soul, and Hiccup held up his hand so his was right next to Toothless'. As they looked at the two together, Hiccup almost missed Gothi muttering the second half of the chant that would let his soul, and probably Toothless' soul, find the best person for them to marry. Tapping her staff on the ground again, she finished the second part. The effect was almost immediate.

At once, his soul and Toothless' started pulling towards each other. He wasn't quite sure if that was suppose to happen or if it was because their souls were so close together, so he tried to move his hand away while his dragon did the same. But the pull was stronger, and boy and dragon were forced to let their souls collide.

For them, the world went white.

\- - - -

_A hatchling, barely half a summer old, playing with his mother's tail._

_A baby, barely half a year old, playing with his mother's braid._

_A youngling, only five summers old, watching in terror as his parents were eaten alive by a monster._

_A young boy, only five years old, running in terror from the horrible abuse of his people._

_A fledgeling, ten summers old, being forced to attack a human village to feed their Queen._

_A boy, ten years old, being forced to learn how to fight the dragons by his father._

_A Night Fury, fifteen summers old, looking up at the small human who's about to kill him._

_A Viking, fifteen years old, looking down at the small dragon who he's about to kill._

_A boy and dragon, choosing to change history by showing mercy._

_A boy and dragon, learning about each other and forming a forbidden friendship._

_A boy and dragon, learning to fly._

_A boy and dragon, falling into the flames of the fallen Queen._

_A boy and dragon, walking out into the new world._

_A boy and dragon, imcomplete without the other._

_They are Hiccup. They are Toothless._

_They will forever be bonded._

\- - - -

Hiccup slowly came back to the real world.

He both had no idea what happened and knew exactly what happened.

In that split second that was an eternity, he had seen his dragons life, just like his dragon had seen his. They had seen each other's hardships, felt each other's emotions, heard each other's thoughts. They were already as close as could be before, able to read the other like a book. Now they had true understanding, they knew the other in every way possible. They could feel it with their entire being, and it felt _right._

They finally came back to themselves and opened their eyes.

He and his dragon were sharing a rather intimate french kiss.

They broke apart to breathe and rested their foreheads together, lightly panting.

_'I love you, Hiccup.'_

_'I love you too, bud.'_

The complete silence around them reminded Hiccup that they had an audience. An audience that had just watched him kiss a dragon and like it. He decided feeling mortified was an appropriate response.

Slowly, they pulled back from each other and looked around. The crowd, both Viking and Dragon alike, were dead silent. It didn't even sound like anyone was breathing. As they turned, their gaze came to rest on the Chief's throne. Gothi still had that knowing smile, and Hiccup was pretty sure he knew why now. Astrid and Stoick were staring, slack-jawed with eyes the size of dinner plates from shock.

Hiccup and Toothless shared a look.

_'3...2...1...'_

Absolute chaos ensued.

The dragons were roaring in happiness. Many took to the air, flying around in circles and occasionally shooting fire. Some, mostly Terrors and the dragons Hiccup and Toothless were closest to like the teen's dragons, flew into the ring to dance around the two of them, giving them praises and congratulations.

**"We're so glad-"**

**"It's about time-"**

**"You two are just perfect-"**

**"The Queens are finally together-"**

**" _AAAAA_ I'M SO HAPPY-"**

The villagers were shouting, but what exactly they were saying was lost to the level of noise and other shouts. From what Hiccup could hear, it was mostly general shock and a negative comments. Most stayed where they were, but some were trying to get to Stoick or Gothi to make sure they were heard.

"What is goin' on-"

"That was disgusting-"

"Marry a dragon?!"

"Surely something went wrong-"

"That blasted dragon-"

Astrid looked torn between also shouting at Stoick or jumping into the ring to give Hiccup and Toothless a piece of her mind and/or axe.

Stoick was just trying to calm everyone down while also getting an answer out of Gothi about how something had to have gone wrong.

Gothi, having been around loud, rambunctious Vikings for far too long just stood and ignored everyone, still smiling at the newly bound pair.

"Toothless, mind getting everyone to shut up?"

Nodding, Toothless took a deep breath and let out one of the loudest roars to date. It had the desired effect of quieting everyone down. Hiccup pat his flank.

"Thanks, bud."

**"Anything for you, Hiccup."**

Stoick was the first to speak.

"Gothi, what is the meaning of this? Did something go wrong with the ritual?"

The woman shook her head.

"Are you saying that Hiccup is meant to be bound and wed to a dragon?!"

A nod.

Hiccup knew there was going to be trouble when his father started turning an unhealthy shade of red. He was very glad he decided to have the both of them wear their flying gear.

"I think we should take a quick vacation, what do you think?"

**"Oh yeah. Get on."**

Toothless lowered himself to the ground for him to climb on. Hiccup quickly jumped into the saddle, strapping himself in before looking to his father.

"Toothless and I are going to leave for a bit. We'll be back in a week or so."

Before anyone could protest, the duo was off, heading for the Haddock household. Hiccup and Toothless quickly went around packing their things, finishing in a record of two minutes. They shot back out of the sky-light just in time to see Stoick marching up to the house.

"Hiccup, get down here!"

"No thanks, see you in a week!"

They flew away quickly, with Toothless giving a roar at the flock to not follow them unless it was an emergency when they tried to tag along. Soon, Berk vanished over the horizon, and the two set off for one of the many uninhabited islands they had found while exploring. They would give the village time to calm down before returning, just to be safe.

\- - - -

(Two days later)

"Are you sure?"

Gothi nodded.

"Absolutely sure?"

Another nod.

"...Comp-"

She whacked him with her staff. Stoick rubbed his head and sent an annoyed look at the elder. After his son had run off with his dragon, he had every intent to have the other riders drag him back. But apparently Hiccup could control the dragons too well since none of them would go in any direction remotely close to the way the duo did.

While he in no way approved of this, and was still angry about it, much of his anger had been vented out after he did some much needed stress relief. He wondered how the repairs were coming.

It was also why he was talking with Gothi. He had to know if this was some kind of mistake or not since that would have a bearing on what he was going to do.

"So the dragon being there didn't mess up the ritual?"

Gothi shook her head.

"Hiccup would have been drawn to the dragon anyways?"

He got an exasperated look.

"I just needed to make sure. Thank you."

He sighed and grabbed his ale after the woman saw herself out. Some days, well, most days, he wondered why he couldn't have a more normal son, one that liked downing ale with friends or having good-natured brawls at dinner. Then he remembered it was his crazy son that ended the war, that proved all of them wrong, that had the courage to do what no one else would even try.

But this...

"I don't know what to think about this."

"Well, you can't say it was that big of a surprise."

He shot Gobber a look.

"What? It's true! You've seen how the two of them act with each other. It was only a matter of time, really."

"That doesn't make this any better."

"Perhaps not, but it doesn't change anythin' either."

"...What am I going to do with him, Gobber?"

"The last time you asked that was with Dragon Training, and look how that turned out. Just give it time, Stoick. Talk with the lad when he gets back and actually listen to him."

"I do listen to him."

"No you don't."

"No, actually, I do."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't! If you do, then tell me how he really feels about Astrid."

"Well, he loves her obviously. Has had a crush on her for-"

"See? You don't listen to him!"

"What do you mean?"

"Stoick, Hiccup does love Astrid, but as a friend. It's why he was so nervous about the ceremony because everyone expected them to be together."

"Oh. Well why didn't he-"

"He did. You didn't listen to him."

Stoick looked at his friend for a few moments before sighing.

"I've been a terrible father, haven't I?"

"Well..."

Gobber sighed.

"You're trying, Stoick. You've just got to try a little harder."

\- - - -

Astrid didn't know what she was feeling, exactly. Ever since Hiccup ran off with his dragon, she hasn't been feeling much more than a daze. One moment she'll be angry, the next confused, then shocked, then some other emotion she can't describe before it repeats again. So she's settled for doing what helps her focus. Using her axe to massacre innocent trees.

Why wasn't she the one Hiccup came to?

_Thunk_

Why did he seem so okay with that?

_Thunk_

Why did that dragon always get between them?

_THUNK- **CRACK**_

She blinked. That was not the sound of wood cracking. Running up to the axe, she found it embedded much deeper than usual, with close to half the axe sunk into the wood. She knows the metal cracked, but can't see where. Gripping the handle, she gives a firm pull. A good chunk of the head doesn't come out. She blinked again. Wouldn't damage like that be found when she took it to get repaired?

She paused.

When was the last time she did that?

She sighed. She liked this axe too. It was a gift from her mother when she was seven. She never asked who made it, but knew whoever it was certainly knew how to make a tough weapon. Maybe she could get another one made by them provided it wasn't a foreign trader that didn't come by often.

Grumbling, she sheathed the axe to her back and turned to walk back into town, only to come face to face with Ruffnut.

"Gah! Ruff, what are you doing here?"

"Watching you."

"Why?"

"Well, you usually vent by chucking your axe at things, so..."

"I'm not mad. Just training."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not!"

"Then why were you muttering about cutting off Toothless' other tailfin?"

"...I was?"

"Yeah. Now spill."

Astrid sighed before finding a fallen log to sit on. Ruffnut took the spot beside her.

"It's just, Toothless always seems to get between Hiccup and I."

"Have you seen those two? They do everything together."

"Yes, but even when it was just me and him, the dragon would always come by to interupt us and Hiccup was always fine with it!"

"Sounds to me like your jealous."

"I am not! I'm just done with that stupid dragon trying to take him away from me."

"I think that ship has sailed, sister."

"What do you mean?"

"...Are you serious?"

"...What?"

"Were you not at the ceremony where Hiccup smooched his dragon?"

"I was, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Astrid, it means Hiccup and Toothless are going to be togther. Not you and him."

Astrid snorted.

"Please, like the Chief will allow that. No, it's still me and him. Watch, Hiccup will say so himself when he gets back."

With that, Astrid stood and walked out of the clearing. Ruffnut just sighed. Why couldn't she just accept she lost?

\- - - -

Hiccup and Toothless were resting, getting a nice sunbath on a rare day of sunshine. He was sprawled out on Toothless' back while the dragon was stretched out in the grass. Both sighed contentedly.

"You know, I figured I'd have more questions to ask you about your life when I finally managed to properly understand you."

**"Yeah, seeing all my memories would ruin that, huh?"**

"Yep. Though I'm not really complaining. It just kind of...takes the fun out of it, I guess."

**"You could ask them anyways."**

"...Why?"

**"I like listening to you talk, even if it's about nothing at all."**

Hiccup didn't really know what to say to that. Growing up, no one really bothered to actually listen to him, and spending time with Toothless gave him a chance to vent to someone that actually would listen, even if they couldn't verbally reply.

**"Also, I'm going to be giving your 'friends' a very thorough lesson for abusing you like they did."**

"Toothless, it wasn't-"

**"Yes it was, Hiccup. They beat on and neglected you for fun. That's abuse."**

"I guess, but-"

**"No buts, Hiccup. I get that you forgave them, which I don't entirely get since they never bothered trying to apologize, but it doesn't excuse their past actions towards you. Besides, I've seen how you flinch around them. They've scarred you, and that isn't okay."**

Hiccup stayed silent. He knew his friend was right. He was always right, even when they couldn't have a full conversation.

"Promise me you won't maim them too badly?"

**"I'll try."**

He smiled, idly scratching the scales under him. Toothless purred in response, the vibrations helping Hiccup relax further. It was a little while before the dragon spoke up again.

**"...Hiccup?"**

"Hmm?"

**"You love me, right?"**

Hiccup didn't even need to think.

**"Yes. I didn't realize it before, but yeah, I do."**

They were silent for a moment.

**"...It's going to cause issues, isn't it?"**

Hiccup sighed.

"Yeah, it will. I mean, you saw how mad my dad got, not to mention how the village reacted."

**"Will we have to leave?"**

"Honestly, I don't know. I doubt it will come to that, but if it does...then so be it. I'd miss everything, but so long as I have you I'll be happy."

**"Thanks, Hiccup. While I already knew you would do anything for me, it's nice to hear it out loud."**

"I know, bud. But, since we're going to go through with this, it should be done properly."

**"Properly?"**

"Yeah. Do dragons not have courting rituals?"

**"Get off."**

"What-"

Toothless jerked his body to the side, causing Hiccup to slip off him and onto the ground. He got to his feet and looked at the dragon in confusion.

"Too-"

**"Hiccup, will you do me the honor of allowing me to court you?"**

Hiccup blinked. He hadn't expected the dragon to be that official, but it worked. He smiled.

"Yes."

He was on the grass with a very happy dragon crushing him before he could blink.

"Bud, can't breathe."

The dragon released him enough so he could take full breaths, but not enough to actually move.

**"Thank you, you have no idea how long I've wanted to ask that."**

"I do, actually, but I get what you mean."

Toothless just purred in response.

"You know you'll get to ask again when we get back, right?"

The purring got louder.

\- - - -

(Five days later)

Boy and dragon stalked out of the woods behind their house. They had decided to come back at night to avoid any confrontation with the village. Hiccup wanted to be able to talk to his father before anyone else to hopefully get reassurance that they wouldn't have to leave.

Toothless jumped up to the skylight in the roof and slipped inside without a sound. Hiccup slid off his back and took off the basket with his things inside. He set it off to the side and crept towards the door, his dragon silently following. Cracking the door open, he spotted the fire going but didn't see his father anywhere. Figuring the man was still out doing his chiefly duties or at the mead hall, he opened the door the rest of the way and started down the steps.

"Hiccup."

He would have fallen off the stairs from shock had Toothless not caught him. Looking around, he spotted Stoick sitting at the table on the other side of the room where he couldn't see from the door. Sighing, he let Toothless set him back on his foot and peg before walking down the rest of the steps and over to the table. Hiccup took the chair opposite of his father with Toothless sitting beside him.

"Hey, dad."

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, we do."

They both took a breath.

"I spoke to-"

"I know that-"

Stopping, they looked at each other. Toothless snorted in amusement.

"You go first, son."

"No, no, it's fine. You go ahead."

"Very well. I spoke to Gothi the other day about the ritual, and she said that nothing went wrong. You would have been bound to Toothless no matter what."

"I, uh, think that even without the ritual, it would have happened."

"I...am inclined to agree. Even a blind man would be able to see the bond you two share, and I'm happy that you found someone that completes you so."

"You...you are?"

"Yes, son. Everyone needs someone like that in their life."

Hiccup gave a small smile.

"However..."

His smile vanished.

"Despite you being bound, I don't approve of you being destined to marry a dragon, even one like Toothless."

Hiccup deflated, Toothless crooned and layed his head on Hiccup's lap.

"...But that doesn't mean I won't support you."

Boy and dragon snapped their heads up to look at him. Stoick gave a small, sad smile.

"I'm old, Hiccup. Change doesn't come easily to people like me, much less so Vikings. Perhaps in time I will come to fully accept what you two will have, and I apologize now for anything I might say or do that will hurt you in the future, but I promise I will always support you when you need it most."

Hiccup was completely speechless, and he could feel tears building in his eyes. This was the most honest Stoick had ever been with him in a long time. So he felt one of their even rarer hugs was in order. Now, normal people would rush around the table to embrace the other. Hiccup instead used his chair to vault himself over the table and into his mountain of a father. He was secretly pleased to hear the air rush out of the mans lungs from impact.

"Thank you, dad. You have no idea how much that means to me."

It took a moment, but he felt large arms wrap around him.

"I know, son. I'm sorry for doing such a terrible job raising you, but I swear I will try harder from now on."

Toothless stood at the other side of the table, watching with a smile as his human and Stoick interacted like a family should. While yes, he was still upset with the man for neglecting Hiccup so, but he knew the man was trying to make up for it. Said man then looked up at him.

"Ah, get over here, devil. You're just as much a part of this family as either of us."

Suprised by the invitation, but no less grateful, he stood and properly walked around the table. When he reached them, Stoick threw one large, beefy arm around his neck and pulled him close. Hiccup moved one of his much skinnier arms around to embrace him as well. He isn't sure how long they stayed like that, but all of them enjoyed the moment for however long it lasted.

\- - - -

"So how is the village taking it?"

"Good and bad. I've gotten quite the earful of people's opinions since you left."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault, son. Like you said, it was going to happen eventually."

Father, son and dragon were getting ready for the day. After the emotional talk last night, they agreed on a good night's rest before continuing any discussions.

"Speaking of, dad, Toothless has something to ask you."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Toothless walked over to the firepit, dipping his claws into the ashes before dragging them over the floor. Hiccup and Stoick watched as he made sloppy, but legible runes on the floor. The dragon had to get more ash a few times, but he sat proudly when he was done. Stoick blinked at him.

"When did he learn how to write?"

"...A week ago."

"Huh."

After getting over the shock of a dragon knowing how to write, he looked at what was actually written. He started laughing.

"Haha, who knew a dragon could be so formal!"

Boy and dragon waited for him to get his laughter under control, sharing nervous looks with each other.

"Ah. Well, I'm glad you chose to learn our customs, Toothless. Yes, I will give you permission to court my son."

Stoick watched with a slightly strained smile as the two of them perked up, laughing and hugging each other. After the two nuzzled each other, the draconic version of a kiss, they turned back to Stoick.

"So, uh, what about the Hoffersons? How are they taking it?"

"Well, Helga wasn't too happy, but she'll come around. Tark was fuming when we last talked, so that will be a problem."

"And Astrid?"

"The lass is in denial, talking about how you'll declare that you still want her."

"Well that's going to be fun."

"Yes. But the main thing being talked about is if you should inherit the chiefdom when I retire."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm...sure you heard talk about being replaced before the war ended."

"Yeah..."

"Well, before the ceremony people were more open to having you become chief with you ending the war. But if you do marry Toothless, then they'll likely revolt at having a dragon leading them."

"I thought as much..."

Stoick paused and looked at his son, noting the lack of disappointment in his voice at the prospect. He almost sounded...relieved?

"You don't seem to have a problem with that."

"Ah, well, I, uh..."

He put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"It's alright, son. I won't be mad."

It took Hiccup a moment before he let out a breath.

"I don't really want to be chief."

"You don't?"

"No. I've always been more interested in exploring, traveling the world, becoming a blacksmith. And now with the dragons here, teaching people the truth about them and helping people get dragons of their own."

"I see..."

Hiccup waited with baited breath.

"Well, if that's what you really want..."

"Wait, you're fine with it?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then why...?"

"Because I want you to be happy. I've pushed you to be what I wanted all your life without listening to what you wanted. If you don't want to be chief, then I will support that decision."

Hiccup again found himself speechless. He was starting to question if someone had secretly replaced his father with how sudden the change in his attitude was.

"Of couse, you'll still be helping lead the tribe, but perhaps as the ambassador for the dragons instead."

Ah, there it was. At least it had to do with the dragons.

"I think I can handle that."

"Good. Now come on, we've got work to do."

Ever the chief, Stoick strode out the door with that aura of ownership only a man like him could pull off. Toothless stood next to him.

**"Well, he certainly had a mood change."**

"Yeah, he did. I like it."

**"Me too."**

They shared a quick nuzzle before following Stoick out the door, ready to face the village now that they had Stoick's blessing.

**Author's Note:**

> Astrid: Ah, yes. Just me, my boyfriend, and my boyfriend's insufferable several ton dragon.


End file.
